‘Serious questions’ for Russia over Navalny death, NATO chief says

“Russia has some very serious questions to answer,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, after reports of the death of leading Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny.

Stoltenberg described Navalny as a “strong voice for freedom” and said NATO has called for his release from imprisonment for a long time.

The top NATO official declined to draw a link to the upcoming Russian presidential election but noted Russia “has become [a] more and more authoritarian power” for many years.

“I’m deeply saddened and very concerned,” Stoltenberg said.

Flowers are left next to a picture of leading Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, outside the Russian Embassy in London, after he was announced dead in prison in Russia. Leading Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny has died in prison on Friday at the age of 47. Vuk Valcic/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa